Intense manual handling
Operators, mobile tanks, forklifts and trolleys constantly in use, with frequent washing and maintenance.
Analytical Case Study
G.O.D. system with L.I.M.E.S. Automation, control and cost reduction in managing liquid glazing products.
How a leading ceramic company in the Sassuolo district automated the distribution of glazes, engobes, bases and additives to 5 glazing lines, with a payback of about 1.3 years.
Five glazing lines, three shifts and entirely manual handling
In a glazing department running 5 lines over 3 shifts, the traditional management of glazes, engobes, bases and additives required heavy manual handling: dedicated operators, mobile tanks, forklifts, trolleys and frequent washing and maintenance.
The starting situation involved 6 operators dedicated to handling, with an annual company cost of €228,000, and an annual consumption of transferred products of 5,000,000 kg, worth about €8.5 million a year.
6 operators dedicated to handling, €228,000/year in cost, 5,000,000 kg of products transferred, worth about €8.5 million a year.
The hidden costs of managing liquid products manually
On top of the direct labour costs came the operational issues typical of manual or semi-manual systems: risk of loading errors, product waste, contamination, scrap attributable to glazing and line stops linked to material handling.
The client’s goal was not only to automate transport, but to turn product management into a traceable, measurable and integrated process, reducing handling, mobile tanks, waste, second-choice products and energy consumption.
Errors, waste and contamination
Risk of loading errors, product waste, contamination and second-choice output attributable to glazing.
Line stops
Production stops linked to material management and the department's internal logistics.
High energy consumption
Numerous mixing and storage tanks constantly running, with the related electricity consumption.
From the ROI analysis: the real cost of mobile tanks
The ROI model quantified the starting situation and the impact of automation. The investment considered is €600,000, including the installed plant, piping, software, tanks and electrical and mechanical works.
Before introducing G.O.D., each product required several mobile tanks per day: in the model analysed, 6 tanks/day of 1,500 litres per product, each with a 1.5 kW installed motor. With the G.O.D. system, an estimated 5 tanks per product are saved.
| Parameter | Previous solution | New solution |
|---|---|---|
| Product handling | Manual (operators, forklifts) | Automated and centralised |
| Mobile tanks per product | 6 tanks/day of 1,500 l | −5 tanks saved per product |
| Consumption traceability | None | Monitoring by line and product |
| Dedicated operators | 6 operators | Reduced |
| Tank energy consumption | High | Reduced |
G.O.D. system with the L.I.M.E.S. supervision platform
The proposal was to integrate the G.O.D. system together with the L.I.M.E.S. platform, to automate the distribution of glazes, engobes, bases and additives to the glazing lines.
The system centralises product management, reduces internal handling and monitors consumption, flows and destinations by line and by product more precisely.
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Automated distribution
Glazes, engobes, bases and additives distributed automatically to the 5 glazing lines.
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Centralised management
A single control point for products, with less internal handling and simplified logistics.
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L.I.M.E.S. supervision
Precise control of consumption, flows and destinations for every line and every product.
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Traceability and measurability
Product management becomes a traceable, measurable and integrated process.
Three areas of impact: efficiency, quality and sustainability
Operational efficiency. Fewer manual tasks, less handling and greater continuity in supplying the lines.
Quality and control. Fewer loading errors, greater process stability and better consumption traceability.
Energy sustainability. Fewer tanks running and lower related electricity consumption.
In the Field
Photo gallery of the project
Fast ROI: payback of about 1.3 years in the mid scenario
Before
Manual management
Handling of glazes, engobes, bases and additives
After
G.O.D. + L.I.M.E.S.
Automated and supervised distribution
The ROI model was developed across three scenarios (conservative, mid and optimistic). Even in the base scenario, without the energy benefit, the system generates an annual net benefit of between €197,000 and €466,250, with payback between 3.05 and 1.29 years. The mid scenario yields an annual net benefit of €335,625; including the energy savings it rises to €460,365, with a payback of about 1.30 years.
| Metric | Result | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Installed G.O.D. investment | €600,000 | Plant, piping, software, tanks and electromechanical works |
| Glazing lines served | 5 | Over 3 shifts, 24 h a day |
| Products transferred | 5,000,000 kg/year | Managed value ~€8,500,000/year |
| Estimated energy savings | 693,000 kWh/year | ≈ €124,740/year at €0.18/kWh |
| Annual net benefit (with energy) | €460,365 | Mid scenario |
| Average annual ROI | 76.7% | Return on investment |
| Updated payback | 1.30 years | With energy savings included |
| 5-year NPV | €1,238,104 | Net present value of the project |
What this case demonstrates
The G.O.D. with L.I.M.E.S. project shows how automating the management of liquid products in glazing can generate a fast economic return and a concrete improvement in production organisation.
01
Automation that pays for itself
Automating the management of liquid products generates a fast economic return: payback of about 1.3 years in the mid scenario.
02
Beyond labour
The benefit is not only labour savings: it affects waste, scrap, energy, handling and department order.
03
Control and traceability
Measuring consumption, flows and destinations by line and product turns management into a controllable, integrated process.
Next step
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